29

"Alright, back to the main topic. You're already aware of Imagine Breaker's function; now I'll explain its side effects."

Rod's words brought the two girls' attention back.

"Forcing the brain to operate with another person's brainwaves will have a huge impact on the body's activities, meaning the user will experience a coma."

"This comatose state typically occurs in the Late Stage of the program's operation and cannot guarantee the user's safety. In short, Imagine Breaker is a key for those without an Item, but the user will also bear certain risks."

"This risk could lead to a permanent coma, from which one might never wake up. Or it could simply be a temporary unconsciousness followed by the loss of the Item again."

Rod's explanation gradually solidified the atmosphere. Saten Ruiko and Frenda looked at the Imagine Breaker on the table as if it were Pandora's Box.

They knew the dangers within, yet couldn't help but want to open it.

"Seriously, if it's like this, how could anyone use it? Gaining an Item, sleeping, and then losing it again—it'd be better not to have had it at all. Right, Saten Ruiko… Saten Ruiko!?" Frenda forced a smile, as if advising Saten Ruiko or perhaps herself.

However, upon noticing the change in Saten Ruiko's eyes, Frenda couldn't help but exclaim in surprise.

"No… it's not like that. If I could, even for just a moment, I… I still want to…" Saten Ruiko's eyes were filled with confusion, but her words revealed a deep longing for an Item.

'Show more, Saten Ruiko, that craving for an Item.'

Saten Ruiko's confused eyes met Rod's calm gaze. After a long silence, Saten Ruiko pursed her lips and slowly spoke,

"Even though I know Imagine Breaker's side effects, but… but I still want to use it."

"Huh!? Are you an idiot!? Saten Ruiko, you know it so clearly, using it only grants you an Item temporarily, and then you'll lose it again. This is completely useless!?" Frenda shouted in disbelief, trying to persuade Saten Ruiko to abandon this crazy idea.

"I know!? But, no matter what, I can't suppress that yearning!? Are those without an Item really just defective products?"

Saten Ruiko yelled at Frenda as if venting, tears uncontrollably streaming down her cheeks.

The sadness and heart-wrenching longing revealed in the girl's eyes left Frenda speechless. As someone without an Item herself, she could naturally empathize with Saten Ruiko's current feelings.

"Sorry, Frenda, I lost my composure a bit." Wiping away the tear stains from her eyes, Saten Ruiko apologized. Her emotional outburst was also unexpected, but as soon as she thought of that deep-seated longing, she, who bore her family's expectations, couldn't help but make a desperate gamble on this rare opportunity.

"I've decided! Mr. Rod, I will use Imagine Breaker." Saten Ruiko raised her hand and placed it on the Imagine Breaker, her eyes showing determination as she made up her mind.

Rod then looked at Frenda. Noticing Rod's gaze and Saten Ruiko's decision, Frenda sighed helplessly and said,

"Count me in too."

"Frenda!" Saten Ruiko looked at Frenda with emotion, not expecting Frenda to choose to use Imagine Breaker with her.

"Hmph, don't misunderstand. I just want to get an Item and then get back at Kinuhatata, that guy, so she doesn't show off in front of me all day." Frenda's pretty face flushed slightly as she quickly denied it, a typical tsundere response.

"Well, since you've made up your mind, this Imagine Breaker is for you to use."

"Be prepared!" Rod's eyes showed seriousness as he instructed.

"Yes!" Saten Ruiko nodded solemnly in response.

A moment later, Saten Ruiko bid farewell to Rod, leaving only the two girls sitting opposite each other in the room.

After a long silence, Saten Ruiko pulled a laptop from under the bed and plugged in the Imagine Breaker. As a pop-up window appeared, she was about to click the play button when—

"Wait… wait!?" A startled cry interrupted Saten Ruiko's rhythm, making her shiver and look at Frenda in annoyance.

"What's wrong?"

"Shouldn't… shouldn't we make some preparations? Like cola and snacks?" Frenda waved her hands frantically, quickly suggesting.

Saten Ruiko's forehead broke out in cold sweat, and she muttered speechlessly,

"This isn't watching a movie, is it?"

"But it can ease the tension, can't it?"

"…" The two girls looked at each other, then—

Drinking cola and eating snacks, the two girls once again focused their attention on the play button.

Saten Ruiko took a deep breath, just about to press it again, when—

"Wait!?" Frenda's loud cry came again. Even with Saten Ruiko's good temper, a vein now throbbed on her forehead.

Noticing this, Frenda quickly scratched her head and laughed awkwardly,

"This time I need to calm down, hahaha, it's fine, you can press it, I'm ready."

Saten Ruiko looked at Frenda suspiciously, but she also realized that her own inner tension had lessened due to Frenda's repeated interruptions.

Ignoring it, Saten Ruiko prepared to press it again, accompanied by Frenda's renewed utterance.

"Dong!"

Good to hear means good head.

Ignoring Frenda, who was rolling around frantically, clutching the large bump on her forehead, Saten Ruiko pressed the play button. A low, strange audio frequency sounded in the room, and the two girls suddenly felt dizzy, but after a few seconds, this strange sensation slowly faded.

After a long silence, Frenda, no longer clowning around, stood up and asked Saten Ruiko,

"Do you feel anything?"

"I just felt dizzy for a moment, that's it?" Saten Ruiko replied blankly.

"Huh? What are you saying?" Frenda muttered speechlessly.

"Then do you feel anything?" Saten Ruiko retorted unhappily.

"Of… of course I do. My Item has already Awakened." Frenda's pretty face flushed, and she said stubbornly.

Never mind if it's Awakened or not, just agree for now.

"Then what's your Item?" Saten Ruiko's beautiful eyes narrowed slightly as she leaned closer to Frenda and asked. She clearly didn't think Frenda could Awaken an Item so quickly.

"My Item? Hahaha, that's my secret, how can I tell you?" Frenda leaned back nervously, making Saten Ruiko even more suspicious.

"Wait… wait, I know, it's blue and white stripes!?" Frenda suddenly shouted, causing Saten Ruiko to freeze, then react, her cheeks instantly turning bright red.

Although she usually lifted Haruue's skirt to peek at the view underneath, when it came to herself, she couldn't handle it.

"Wait, X-ray vision!?" Saten Ruiko said in astonishment.

"Hehe, pretty cool, right? It's X-ray vision, a pretty good auxiliary Item. I hear this Item is also known as 'men's dream'." Frenda winked playfully, the implication of which was truly thought-provoking.

Suddenly feeling a chill under her skirt, a strange updraft of Qi flew up from beneath, causing Frenda to instinctively cover her skirt, her pretty face also a deep crimson.

"Oh ho ~ white lace under black pantyhose, how mature ~" Saten Ruiko teased. How could she not know who blew that perverted wind just now?

"Saten Ruiko!?" Frenda pounced on her in annoyance, and the two girls tangled, skirts flying.

The laughter of the two girls then filled the room.